Dwight Dozier Joins Development Leadership Team

The university welcomed Dwight Dozier as its new senior associate vice president for development earlier this month.

In this role, Mr. Dozier will oversee a range of GW advancement offices, including alumni and donor relations, annual giving, and development communications and events.

Mr. Dozier has spent most of his professional career in higher education, most recently as associate vice president for advancement services at the University of Louisville. He has held several positions in university advancement, including interim vice president for alumni relations at Louisville and assistant executive director of alumni services at Penn State.

“I am delighted to welcome Dwight Dozier to the Division of Development and Alumni Relations,” Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Michael Morsberger said. “His extensive background in higher education advancement, including information technology, advancement services, alumni relations and volunteer leadership, will be a huge asset as we continue to support the growth and vision of the George Washington University.”

A major part of Mr. Dozier’s position will be to oversee alumni relations, which includes services and programming for the university’s more than 250,000 alumni.

“The GW Alumni Association plays a major role in creating and sustaining engagement opportunities and creating ongoing awareness of the university for GW alumni,” Mr. Dozier said. “Regardless of the school, college or program GW alumni have been affiliated with, we want to make sure alumni have a lifelong relationship with the George Washington University and that we are a continued place of resources, learning and family.”

Mr. Dozier cited service, mentoring, philanthropy and volunteer leadership as a few ways GW community members advance the university.

“All of those things have to do with moving the university forward—and with giving back and providing opportunities for others,” he said. “A lot of lives have been positively changed by the impact of higher education, and we are invested in creating opportunities via engagement and philanthropy to educate, change and enhance the world we all live in.”

A graduate of Washington State University, Mr. Dozier has served in volunteer capacities on educational boards and through the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He is an accomplished musician and a member of a jazz band that has worked with notable artists, including Delfeayo Marsalis, Antonio Hart and Rufus Reid.

“I began playing drums at the age of 8 after hearing a marching band contest in my birthplace of Oklahoma City,” Mr. Dozier said. “I have not stopped playing drums since, and I have been fortunate to have some great musical experiences.” His group, the Jerry Tolson Quartet/Quintet, has traveled to Italy, Barbados and Switzerland, where it performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. It has also opened for jazz pianist Eric Reed, jazz guitarist Mark Whitfield and saxophonist Pamela Williams.

On the topic of GW’s future, Mr. Dozier is excited about enhancing outreach and programs to increase engagement among university alumni, friends and supporters.

“GW is a university on the move,” he said, “and I’m excited to be part of that growth.”